Why Krishna is Blue in color ?

Vrindavan · May 10, 2006

Please explain

Dwayne · May 11, 2006

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We often get these sorts of questions and the answer generally given is

"Well, He's God, therefore He can be any color He wants to be." But this

isn't so satisfying. With the same logic, the question "Why does Krishna

descend to the material world?" could be answered "Well, He's God,

therefore He can go anywhere He wants to go." I doubt that answer is

going to take us back to Godhead since Krishna gives us the promise that

one who understands His appearance and activities will never take birth

again. (Bhagavad-gita 4.9)

So my question also implies that since Krishna has a personality,

wouldn't it be sensible for Him to have a reason for choosing to be a

certain color? Maybe it is His favorite color. In other words, can we

expect every single action of Krishna's to have some logic or reason,

even if it is something silly or extraordinary according to His

personality. Does Krishna ever do something without any real reason?

The most satisfying answer I have found for this question is that the

color of Krishna's body (krishna) is the color of madhurya rasa, the

color of pure love. So can you confirm this and also perhaps elaborate

if we have such information.

*End of Question*

Answer: Krishna is unlimited and His actions are indeed unfathomable by

our limited intelligence. The limited living entity can never FULLY

understand the unlimited, but we can understand to the extent He reveals

Himself and empowers us to understand. Whatever we do know, we can know

through the medium of revealed scriptures and saintly persons. As

Krishna recommends in Bhagavad-gita 4.9 (http://vedabase.net/bg/4/9/en),

it is important for us to understand the divine nature of His appearance

and activities, but the process of such understanding is not through our

mental exertion, but by hearing in Disciplic succession. (Bhagavad-gita

4.2 & 4.34 http://vedabase.net/bg/4/2/en, http://vedabase.net/bg/4/34/en

) Such hearing, with an attitude of submission, service and great faith,

will enable us to actually understand (tattvatah) and thus go back to

Godhead; theoretical or intellectual understanding will not.

In the case of why Krishna descends to the material world, He does state

some specific reasons (Bhagavad-gita 4.8 http://vedabase.net/bg/4/8/en)

and there are further elaborate discussions on this topic (for instance

see prayers by Queen Kunti, Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.30-35

http://vedabase.net/sb/1/8/) It is certainly important for us to be

eager to get an insight into these reasons but equally important is the

understanding that ultimately He is not bound by any of these reasons.

As revealed in Prahlad's prayers and other places, the Lord actually

appears for His own pleasure and to please His devotees.

(Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.13 http://vedabase.net/sb/7/9/13/en)

Even great mahajans like Bhismadeva admit that no one can fully

understand Krishna's plans. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.9.16

http://vedabase.net/sb/1/9/16/en) Likewise, great devotees like

Krishnadas Kaviraj Gosvami repeatedly state the impossibility of

penetrating into the meaning of Lord Caitanya's pastimes. This is to say

that we may not expect to be able to understand the logic and reason

behind everyone of the Lord's actions; trying to do so would be

presumptuous and also unnecessary. Devotees are happy to appreciate the

fact that their Lord is completely independent & merciful, and

simultaneously eager to understand the confidential reasons behind His

actions as much as guru, sadhu and sastra reveal to them, which they

fully accept without further doubts.

As for the reason behind Krishna's having a bluish complexion, here is a

very beautiful explanation given in Krishna Bhakti Ratna Prakasa by

Raghava Gosvami wherein it is said:

atha kaiscid uktam. yadi sva-prakaso lila-rasa-mayah paramatma-svarupas

tasmin katham syama-varnatvam sarvatra prasiddham. yatha srutau rupam na

vedyam na ca bindunadah ity adi. tad aha

syamabhatvam vidhatte yat

sarva-varno 'tra liyate

nityam ca prabhavaty eva

kalo 'smin naiva vidyate

Translation:

At this point some may ask: Why is it that the form of the Personality

of Godhead, which He manifests only by His own wish, and which is made

of the sweetness of transcendental pastimes, is famous everywhere for

its dark complexion?"

Part of the answer to this question may be found in the statement of the

Sruti-sastra: "No one can understand even a drop of the Lord's

transcendental form." Aside from this it is also said:

"He eternally manifests the color syama, within which all colors rest.

His complexion is not the material color black."

_

Thus from the last verse we see it says "sarva-varno" which means that

the colour syama is a special color, which is like a composite of all

colours. And we notice that if we combine all colours we get a colour

which is blackish, but not black.

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Vrindavan · May 11, 2006

Krishna appears both bluish and blackish ?

http://www.audarya-fellowship.com/forums/spiritual-discussions/33214-why-krishna-blue-wear-peacock-feather.html

Vrindavan · May 12, 2006

Q. Why is Krsna blue?

A. Krsna's complexion is not exactly blue. It is the color 'syama' (bluish black), which according to Indian aesthetic theory is the color of conjugal love. Krsna is the God of love and conjugal love in particular. Thus he is the presiding deity of this color as well. According to Rupa Goswami's Bhaktirasamrita-sindhu, each of the twelve rasas are represented by corresponding colors.

http://www.swami.org/sanga/archives/pages/volume_two/m104.html